Poetry has never been the language of barriers, it’s always been the language of bridges.

Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself.

I was writing since I can remember – I just didn’t know it was poetry yet, or that writing could be a career.

Empathy is a respectful understanding of what others are experiencing.

The oration of poetry, I consider to be its own art form and tradition.

You can only understand people if you feel them in yourself.

Poetry and language are often at the heartbeat of movements for change.

If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours.

Always remember that
What happened to us
Happened through us.

What’s really funny about being National Youth Poet Laureate is that not everyone even knows it exists.

Please.
Do not ask us who we are.
The hardest part of grief
Is giving it a name.

To love one another just may be the fight of our lives.

You’re the one who is weak. You will never know love or friendship. And I feel sorry for you.

The good you find in others is a reflection of the good that is in yourself.

You should not judge; you should understand.

Our scars are the brightest parts of us.